ALWAGHT- On Saturday, an Israeli military commander was killed amid ongoing raids in the West Bank, marking the fourth straight day of severe escalation in the region.
In a statement, the Israeli army confirmed that 20-year-old squad commander Elkana Navon was killed during operational activity in Jenin earlier that day. Another soldier was reported to be "severely injured" in the same incident.
The army described the incident as a clash between Israeli forces, who had entered a house in the city's refugee camp, and Palestinian resistance fighters.
The ongoing escalation, now in its fourth day, has seen Israeli forces increase airstrikes and ground attacks across various parts of the West Bank, particularly in the north.
So far, at least 22 Palestinians have been killed during this escalation.
In response, the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas warned that Israel is aiming to extend its military campaign—initiated in October and which has already resulted in the deaths of over 40,600 Palestinians in Gaza—into the West Bank.
The Islamic Jihad, another Gaza-based resistance group, stated that the Israeli aggression will only bolster the resolve of the resistance in their struggle to liberate Palestinian territories. The group emphasized that this aggression “will not achieve its objectives but will instead strengthen our determination to resist until the occupation is driven from our land.”